


Ain't nothing but a mistake

by kela_the_dragon_queen



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Cashier!Levi, College!Eren, Jean is a bad good friend, M/M, Magic Mike XXL!AU, Well more of a scene, the one at the gas station, you'll see - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-27
Updated: 2016-04-27
Packaged: 2018-05-31 04:53:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6456679
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kela_the_dragon_queen/pseuds/kela_the_dragon_queen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Scholarships were so damn important, especially to newly disowned Eren Jaeger. Unfortunately, his friends - mostly Jean the dick - didn't seem to understand the importance of keeping his grades up, and decided to make him "have fun".</p><p>That's not something either Eren or Levi the cute cashier expected to call this. "Fun" was definitely not a thing when the Backstreet Boys back you up, right into the jaws of awkward encounters.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ain't nothing but a mistake

**Author's Note:**

> Really, this is just a mind dump of this one scene in MMXXL that had me in stitches. because is totally something that I could see Eren doing on a dare. And Jean giving the dare. And Levi just...standing there.
> 
> Written in one go at 2am, so please excuse any glaring plot holes or grammar sins. I am but a poor unfortunate soul, preyed on by plot bunnies.
> 
> Please do enjoy. <3

Sometimes in life, you look around and suddenly realize: you’re at a dead end. Stopped. The way you’ve chosen has no continuation for you. I had that moment today, at my job. Cashier extraordinaire at your local gas station, smack dab in the middle of nowhere. It wasn’t even like a chain station, just some local place that doubled up as a convenience store.

And here I was, on a Saturday morning, cleaning this shithole for the thousandth time in the past two hours. I leaned on the broom and rubbed my face in irritation, groaning as I looked around the place. What was I even doing here? Shouldn’t people my age just be waking up right about now, hungover from some stupid frat party they overdrank at the night before?

I caught my reflection in the big mirror that helped us monitor the aisles from the cash register and winced inwardly at what I saw. Dark circles, pale skin, and ratty hair. All of which clashed horribly with the stupid bright colors that the station required us to wear. I grit my teeth and looked away, scrubbing at the floors with renewed vigor as I fought to keep these thoughts from circulating more.

After a while, I resigned myself to sit in the stool behind the counter and listen to the vapid pop crap playing on the store speakers. 90s, I noted idly as I rearranged the counter, which weren’t all bad. I liked a little Britney myself, every now and again. The doorbell rang, and I prepared myself for some grumpy old person, or a quiet teenager. Either way, I hadn’t been expecting much when I greeted them in the same way I greeted everyone.

Instead when I looked up, I met a pleasant smile and a pair of the most interesting eyes I’d ever seen around this dingy store. _Well_ , I thought as I gave this guy a subtle once over, _if this is where my life has been leading me so far, may I never go again unless this guy is there._

“Hi, how are you?” He asked, his voice a perfect match to that smile. I blinked, unused to talking to customers like this. At least, not with words. My customers and I do just fine with grunts and nods. Wait, hot guy. Must focus.

“Fine.” I managed, averting my eyes to try and gather my thoughts. Great, I must’ve sounded like an asshole just then. Which, to be fair, is how I normally come off as. I just didn’t want to this time, not if it meant scaring away this guy before I could even get a proper conversation with him.

This was going to be just great, _I could already feel it_.

**Ten minutes earlier (Eren)**

“Jean, you fucking dick, can we please stop now? I still have a test to study for and we’re now hours away from any form of civilization.” I glared at the side of my so-called friend’s face, but he only twisted his dumb mouth into a dumber grin at my anger.

“Hell no Jaeger, it’s the weekend, and you need to calm your tits with all this school stuff. We are going to hang out today like you said, and you will fucking enjoy it. You really don’t have a choice here.” I turned my glare out the window because I knew he was right.

We’d made plans weeks ago to hang out and just relax, so that the semester wouldn't eat us alive. I’d promised to stop working myself to death, and Jean agreed to hold off on his whole asshole facade for a day. We were supposed to go play Ultimate Frisbee with the guys two weeks ago, before my courses took a shit on me. Given the choice between keeping my scholarships and goofing off with friends, I’d inevitably cancelled again, trying to apologize while simultaneously putting in vague promises of “next time, when I’m free.”

It worked for a while really. Till Jean came into my dorm at ass crack o’ clock to kidnap me while I was out like a light. When I woke up three hours later, I was stuck in Jean’s car, on the highway to what he had dubbed, “the night we forgot”. I’d crossed my arms and given him hell for an hour, but nothing swayed him. He said he missed me, and kept reminding me that I’d promised, so I finally stopped.

Going back to present, I scowled as we pulled up to a dingy gas station, refusing to look at Jean as he finally turned to me. I didn’t need to see him anyway to know that his lips were pulled open so wide that he lived up to his nickname. Damn horse face.

“So Jaeger, wanna go home?” I’m not ashamed about how I whipped around so fast my attitude switched with it. Scholarships were a bitch to get; I wasn’t about to lose mine for this asswipe.

“I thought you would _never ask._ ” I said fervently, fists clenched in excitement. Jean held up a finger, barely holding back a laugh. My mood dropped instantly; when Jean found something funny, more often than not, my sense of humor did not agree.

He cleared his throat dramatically. I rolled my eyes. “There’s only one condition though, you suicidal maniac.”

“Not suicidal you jerk.”

“The way you work yourself to death says otherwise.” To that, I unfortunately had no retort. “I’ll take you home right now….if you can make that guy over there smile. Bonus points if you get his number.” My mouth dropped open in shock, looking over to where this “guy” was. From my vantage point I could only see his mouth, which was drawn into a deep scowl. It was an expression it seemed familiar with, which was I assumed was exactly why Jean chose this for his “fun”.

“Jean, that guy looks like he doesn’t have smile muscles to begin with.” I protested, crossing my arms again and pinning him with my best argumentative stare. No dice; Jean merely laughed and gestured at my whole self.

“Should be a piece of cake for you sunshine. Flash those pearly whites and I’m sure you’ve got it made.” Jean snickered. I looked over at the guy again, who seemed to be putting stuff away, and thought longingly of my grades. They weren’t stellar, but I was getting by. Which I wouldn’t do anymore, if I couldn’t pass this test. With that in mind, I squared my shoulders and marched out of the car, turning on the charm and ignoring Jean’s cheer.

Which is how I ended up in front of the most handsome cashier I have ever met, about to do the stupidest thing I have ever had to do.

**Back to the present (Levi)**

I stared at the floor, trying to gather my thoughts and scrounge up something, anything to say that would make this guy stick around for a bit. Saturdays were always awful, because people just came in and out, always rushing to their next point on the map. Guys like him were rare, and I relished every weirdo who took time out to talk to me. They just didn’t look this pretty, on a normal occasion.

Luckily for me, bright eyes seemed to be a talker. “So, Levi huh?” I looked back up at him in disbelief. That was so incredibly lame, but it was so much better than anything that I’d come up with so far. 

“Well that is what this tag reads…” I drawled, leaning forward to rest my chin on my hand. The guy nodded and sighed.

“Yeah sorry, I’m just a little tired. And irritated.” He mumbled, sending a particularly venomous glare towards the car that was idling outside. I assumed that was his ride, and couldn’t help the curiosity that bubbled up. Was a girl outside, rushing him because they were late for some party? It wouldn’t be the first time I’d heard that story, but the thought still drew the corners of my mouth downwards. A ping startled broke the silence between us, and I watched in amusement as he fumbled for his phone, apologizing all the while. He read the text with a furrowed brow before actually growling out loud. (I ignored the jump at my chest; who growled and sounded that hot? God I was so gone for this guy.) “Okay make that seriously irritated.”

“Not really my issue.” I muttered, trying not to let my traitorous emotions tip my hand. This guy would be gone soon, there was really no reason for me to get so attached to him. But then those eyes were on me again, lips pulled into a pout.

“Okay Levi, can I be straight with you?” He asked urgently, leaning in close enough that I could feel his breath. I backed away quickly, trying not to breathe in his scent like a pervert. He mistook it as discomfort and jumped back, hands up in surrender. “Shit, I’m sorry, please don’t be creeped out I swear I’m not trying to jump you or anything.” _Pity_ , I thought, but forced myself to relax. He took that as a go, and took a deep breath. “D’you mind smiling for me? My grades depend on it.”

….okay, for someone who’d said he wasn’t a creep, that was creepy. “Why?” I asked suspiciously, eyes straying again to the car. The guy followed my gaze – I realized I hadn’t even heard this guy introduce himself yet, and here he was asking for something so off –and sighed in frustration.

“Long story short, I’m in college and my friend is an ass. If you smile, then he’ll stop being one and I can keep my scholarships and my future stays a possibility.” He mumbled. I narrowed my eyes at him.

“That was a shitty explanation. How does that justify asking a perfect stranger for something so random?” He wrung his hands before slapping them on his face, and promptly launched into this tirade about his grades and a test and a horse's stupid face. I couldn't really follow, and by this point, I couldn't find enough energy to care. When he finished I frowned and shook my head.

"Look dude I feel for you, but if you're not gonna buy anything, I'm gonna have to ask you to leave." His lips trembled, eyes wide in what I know is the most adorable puppy dog face I will ever see. Unluckily for him, Hange had given me way too much practice in saying no. I gestured to the door and emphatically turned to my phone.

There was a beat of silence, before I heard his feet shuffle away. I peeked up, wanting to watch him leave so that I had something to help me through the rest of the day. Instead, I found him wandering the aisles in front of me, checking out the window before pulling out his phone and tapping out a message. Another ping let me know his friend had answered, and a sigh left his lips once again. My only warning for what came next was a wry smile and the disappearance of those pretty eyes.

Sometimes life gave you a hint of where you were supposed to be in that point. Today, I realized that life never makes a mistake.


End file.
